LL

It has been a bit since I wrote the last post and a few things have happened. Mainly, continuing the ongoing story from the past weeks, the banning of RedZone and it's creator who turned out to have been a convicted criminal and someone with a more then questionable record. The last week has also seen the release of the 'Basic Viewer' by LL that, while I don't see it as a bad idea, has not been received that well by those people who tried it. Now of course those people have all been long time users of other viewers and have different expectations then new time residents, but LL would be ill advised to ignore what is being said on various forum posts. The criticism is mainly aimed at who much the viewer is stripped down in abilities that also involve not being able to use voice chat as well as not being able to 'buy' both L$ and items. The inventory is also unavailable and I am not sure, that the distinction between the 'basic' and 'advanced' mode is really that clearly made and visible to new users. Maybe it would be good to make the 'advanced' mode into 'normal' mode and make a big arrow pointing at the button that would enable the extra functions. Preferably without the need to relog, but maybe it is too early for all this in the development circle of this new viewer.

Or maybe I am expecting too much of LL, what brings me right into the big debate that sprung up on New World Notes a while ago and continued, as the writer of this blog continues to write blog entries in the same kind of topic:

http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2011/03/second-life-users-hate-and-fear-change.html#comments

I first wanted to just point out to this one blog posting that I have found while reading up on the ongoing 'RedZone' problem. Mostly, because it not only illustrates the total uselessness of the 'security' provided by such a system, but also, because it shows what kind of problems people face, when they try to ensure free and uncensored flow of information and knowledge when being behind such tightly controlled bottlenecks:

http://treminarisecondlife.blogspot.com/2010/12/zf-redzone-can-disrupt-secondlife.html?zx=905e3941c674ba1c

But then, once I sat down to write, the news hit. Soft Linden posted a comment on the JIRA entry regarding RedZone (https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-24746) and while doing so, made many people very happy:

“Hey, all. I got the go-ahead to give an update on zF Red Zone specifically. Again, thank you for the ARs with specific info about violations. These have been very helpful for letting Lindens know what's going on.

Everyone who looked up anything Second Life related in the past weeks will have had a hard time not to notice the big uproar over the use of the alleged security tool called 'redzone'. I didn't really wanted to write anything about this as I figured, that the storm will be over soon either by it being replaced by something else or by LL to make a ruling one way or another.

On the other hand, this is not a topic to be ignored in the face of the 'Facebook-talk' going on in various blogs and forums. I mean, it does touches the sense of security the residents enjoyed in their daily use of Second Life. Now it does not matter much if this was true or not. The facts rarely matter in such situations as it is the emotions that took over the discussion.

But is this wrong?

As it has been already announced the Lab is moving forward with their plans to implement their new community communication platform:

http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2011/02/16/a-new-community-platform-coming-march-2nd

Now of course anyone who knew me knew, that this is a topic I am harping about since a long time and that I think that communication is the big topic the Lab is failing in since the very beginning. At least since I am here and take part in this world. I like it here too, so I am continuing to point this out. And here I need to say that:

"We have recently added significant resources--of both people and technology--to improve your experience with both Customer Support and community interaction and communication."

Sounds like a hollow phrase. I guess I would have to apologize but I am disillusioned about such things. I want to see them come true only that experience tells otherwise. A improvement here, in the customer support, would do a great service to any aspect of Second Life. Even those who does not use the service will profit from less drama and a better mood on the grid. And I guess we could all use a little bit of uplifting lately.

On a virtual world like Second Life a lot depends on how the company running it communicates with it's users. Or customers as they should see us or residents as I guess our all official designation is:

http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2011/02/09/improving-our-lines-of-communication-with-the-community

This post on Linden Lab's blog made me stop and think for a moment. How did the communication went in the past and what might those changes mean in the future. I guess anyone who has read some of my previous posts would know, that this is a topic that I almost always return to. It is a topic, I see as very central to most issues we have faced in the past years. It is essential for LL to get feedback, it is essential for the residents to decide if it is a good choice to put some money and time into it and it is essential for the inworld business owners as their plans and investments rise and fall with the mood that is prominent on the grid in any given moment. The less openness, the less feedback, the more screaming and the more rumours that in turn only increase the feeling of uncertainty, that makes many people wonder why we all are still keeping up with this madhouse.

Following the recent meeting of the Linden Laboratories new CEO, Rod Humble, with a selected group of SL bloggers he also gave a interview to New World Notes:

http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2011/02/rod-humble-linden-lab-ceo-second-life-inteview.html#more

It is a very interesting move to show so much willingness to communicate with the residents and almost unheard of when thinking about how this has been handled in the past. Especially as the two former CEOs have, in my opinion, failed to develop Second Life's full potential and I might even dare to say, they don't recognized it. Even Philip who might have founded and build it, but who fled in the 'hour of need' and behaved like he abandoned it to pursue some other goal. Now there is nothing bad with this but he could have made it less abrupt and not that damaging to the already low faith many people expressed to having in regard to all things concerning the future of Second Life. But this is a old discussion and while it is a shame that it still comes up all the time, it might be better to look at the possible future.

And this future is the really interesting point as 'New World Notes' points out the difference in approach Rod Humble seem to have towards Second Life. To quote from the blog:

It has been a bit of a surprise to find this in my everyday blogosphere-look up a few days ago:

http://slofdreams.blogspot.com/2011/02/rodvik-linden-meet-and-greet.html

I didn't had the time to write up the article about it, but now that I have, I thought I still do even when this all happened some time ago now. Mostly, because I think it is a great way to start interacting with the residents for the new CEO and it might be a good way to show the things to come.

Now of course I am not getting too excited since the track record of failed communication by LL is still unbroken and continues to upset many residents. It also creates problems when people feel they are ignored, their issues remain unsolved and the general feel of uncertainty about the future arises. I would even say, that while many people hang on in SL, the mood for investment is not there and therefore the growth of the platform is hindered. At least in the economic department but since consumption and easy gratification are main forces of appeal for a many that have joined or might join, this is one of the central pillars of support for SL. I have written in one of the previous posts, that I think that LL is moving towards greater reliance on content creation and merchant activity on the expanse of the so far dominant land market. This might be true or I might be mistaken. I have no idea but now that I am free to write a bit about the meeting I will do so and maybe I will come to a few new conclusions.

Linden Laboratories has recently published it's statistics and while there is lots that could be said about how 'gamed' those are, I rather want to look at the development of the economy and the inworld sale compared with the figures of the economic activity on the Marketplace. This of course also has a big impact on the land value and one can not avoid to ask the question if the possible effects of it have not been fully intended by LL.

It might be a conspiracy theory but I think the connection between the different figures is too obvious to be missed. Once the bulk of commerce moves to the marketplace, there will be little demand for inworld shops and especially smaller shops will benefit from exposure on the marketplace trading the cost of land holdings and rented shops for the share LL takes from all marketplace sales.

Paying per sale is beneficial for starting merchants as it reduces the fixed costs and only then looses out against the model of a fixed price when the volume of sales grows beyond the 'hobby' level. However without those shops renting land and store places the amount of land used for commercial use will shrink as those who until now have rented those places to small businesses or satellite shops will find it hard to continue to do so. They might of course try to switch to residential renting but then the relatively flat growing curve of the number of Second Life residents will lead to a bigger supply of land then the demand of it. And then falling prices and more larger land holders scaling down or stopping their activities.

Finally it is here!

http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/technology/blog/2011/01/13/technology-improvements-for-q1-including-raising-group-limit-to-42

And so it happened. We have a new year and once the celebrations are over and the hang over cured we can more or less assume, that as far as this virtual world here is concerned, the new year might be just like the old one.

Or will it?